Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the action he will take to resolve the storage problems that are occurring at the National Archives; the progress made to date on a new purpose built building for the State's archives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7895/10]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is acknowledged that the National Archives suffers from a long-standing storage challenge on a constrained site. The storage difficulties in the National Archives are being tackled in two ways. The Commissioners of Public Works at the instigation of my Department have agreed to examine in detail the options for a short-to-medium term solution to the storage and accommodation needs of the Archives within the existing Bishop Street building complex. OPW will prepare proposals in the coming months. They have already provided some off-site storage for certain series of records apart from the Four Courts storage.

In addition, OPW are moving the Land Commission records of the Department of Agriculture that are still in current use, out of Bishop Street to the new offices in Portlaoise. This will free up space for the National Archives proper and that will be fitted out as storage. The administrative staffing of the National Archives, which was admittedly relatively small, has also been strengthened by my Department in recent times.